The present disclosure generally relates to oral care devices and a product dispensing system, and, more particularly, to a unit-dose toothbrush which may be configured for suction and non-suction operation. The toothbrush may be individually packaged and may be part of a product dispensing system having a plurality of separately packaged products arranged in an organized, sequential fashion for individual dispensation and use.
Standard toothbrushes are commonly used and are well known. More recently, toothbrush designs have been developed that enable a toothbrush to dispense toothpaste. However, the prior art designs are not suitable for use in hospitals or other medical treatment facilities, where patients may have compromised immune systems or be on ventilators. For example, reuse of such a toothbrush creates a risk of bacterial infection. Further, patients on ventilators, as well as some non-ventilated patients, are unable to spit, expectorate, or otherwise voluntarily remove liquids from their mouths, necessitating the use of suction. The need to use a suction device alongside a toothbrush or other cleaning device complicates oral cleanings and creates a risk of patient injury or infection. Standard toothpaste may also be unsuitable for use by such patients. Accordingly, an improved design of toothbrush is required.
Other recent designs include toothbrushes connected to a vacuum source. However, these prior art designs require individuals using the toothbrush to apply the appropriate amount of cleaning solution. Furthermore, such devices require the individual to hook up or separately activate the vacuum source at the appropriate time. Both of these steps may be too complicated for a patient in a medical facility to perform correctly on their own, risking that the patient will apply an incorrect dosage of cleaning solution, will prematurely activate the vacuum source, or will inadvertently swallow cleaning solution from failing to activate the vacuum source in a timely manner.
Additionally, in many circumstances, medical products such as toothbrushes or other medical devices must be used multiple times. For example, in medical care and with particular reference to oral care, a series of mouth care products must be used in a repetitious fashion, such as for periodic cleaning sessions, where there can be evacuation, brushing of the teeth, and swabbing of the mouth and gums. Fresh tools may be used for each procedure, and with the repetition of each procedure occurring after a predetermined interval, such as every few hours, it is advantageous to have all of the necessary implements available to the mouth care professional in an organized, sequential and logical manner. This not only facilitates proper care, but also helps avoid missing any critical care steps each time mouth care is undertaken.
Further, there is a need to ensure that periodic procedures have been performed and that a predetermined treatment plan has been followed. In particular, when procedures must be administered frequently or numerous individuals are responsible for providing care or ensuring compliance with a treatment plan, there is a need for a reliable, readily perceivable indicator as to whether the treatment plan has been followed. For example, a health care provider may need to rapidly confirm whether a patient has performed a prescribed series of treatments during a day, or whether another provider has rendered the prescribed treatments already during a particular day.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved product dispensing system which ensures compliance with a treatment plan in general, and more particularly for a system for dispensing products and ensuring compliance with an oral care routine without requiring significant training or additional effort for a patient or health care provider.